Three-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou continued his dominance by leading the opening practice session Friday for The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix. Piloting the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Palou clocked a best lap of 1 minute, 40.5486 seconds on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile natural terrain road course.
Palou’s performance in the 80-minute session, which consisted of an open segment followed by two group runs, builds upon his season-opening victory at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg earlier this month. Adding to the challenge for his competitors, Palou also won last year’s exhibition race at The Thermal Club from pole position, making him a formidable contender this weekend.
“A really good start to the weekend for the No. 10 DHL Honda team,” Palou said. “We didn’t get many laps because of some red flags, but the car rolled off really well considering it was very different to last year with different tires and the hybrid unit, and we didn’t test here this year. I’m really happy. There are some things to work on before we head to practice two tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to a nice weekend.”
Andretti Global Shows Strong Pace
Despite Palou’s leading time, Andretti Global emerged as the top-performing team with all three of its drivers securing spots in the top four. Kyle Kirkwood was closest to Palou, finishing second with a lap of 1:40.6387 in the No. 27 Chili’s Honda, trailing by just 0.0901 seconds. 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson followed in third with a time of 1:40.7370 in the No. 28 Bryant Honda, while Colton Herta, a Southern California native, was fourth at 1:40.8439 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.
Rounding out the top five was second-year driver Christian Rasmussen, posting a time of 1:40.8728 in the No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet.
Shwartzman’s Fire Incident
The only significant incident of the session occurred when rookie Robert Shwartzman was forced to stop on track just past Turn 6 after a fire broke out in the rear of his No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet. Fortunately, Shwartzman quickly exited the car and was unharmed.
Looking Ahead
Teams will return to the track Saturday for a second practice session at 1 p.m. ET, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 5:05 p.m. ET. Both sessions will be available on FS1, the FOX Sports app, and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The highly anticipated 65-lap race is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET Sunday and will be broadcast live on FOX, the FOX Sports app, and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
With Palou’s early speed and Andretti Global’s strong presence, The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix is shaping up to be a thrilling battle as the season progresses.
Thermal IndyCar Practice Speeds
March 21, 2025
